Are meeting minutes, which are distributed, read and approved by vote of both the Executive Board and the General membership, a legal document? Are they up for any interpretation if something is called into question and those that did not agree with what was reflected in the minutes say that was not what they intended so they aren't going to do it as set forth in the minutes?
Approved minutes would normally be admitted into court as evidence of what was approved at the meeting and anyone who sought to show that the minutes were not accurate would have a difficult burden to overcome. The Board or the members could possibly vote again on the issue and make a different decision, but the minutes would normally be deemed an accurate reflection of the outcome of the earlier meeting to the extent that they are clear and unambiguous. If they aren’t clear, however, they may not be very useful. (See Ready Reference Page: "Preparing Minutes of Board Meetings Is Usually More Art than Science.")
Add new comment